Many compounds are known for the treatment of cancer. Most act via inhibition of DNA replication or cell proliferation, in general, and are not specific for transformed cells. Although specificity has been imparted through the use of targeting ligands, and binding to specific receptors on the tumor cells, in general most anti-tumor compounds are effective by virtue of killing more of the more rapidly proliferating tumor cells as compared to the more slowly replicating normal cells.
It would be highly desirable to have more selective compounds, that are cytotoxic to tumor cells but not to normal cells.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a method for identifying compounds that exhibit selective anti-tumor activity.
It is still further an object of this invention to provide a new class of compounds which exhibit anti-tumor activity through the targeting of the hRad9 gene in humans.